#456 RAFW second day recap

The Big Zambowski - Zambesi's Neville Findlay keeping it cool

If yesterday was the most perfect start to a fashion week I've ever had, then today was it's crueler uglier, despicable older sister. Whatever could go wrong did, and by crikey waddaya know, most of the time all at once. Not that it began badly though. I woke up bright and early at 6:50am, excited, energised and rearing to go. First show was Dion Lee, this year's potential star, and he put on such an incredible show that not only did everyone around me proclaim Sydney Fashion Week over, but I kept going all day telling everyone who'd listen that his was the most perfect womenswear show I've ever been to. Not a lie.

But then things went downhill. Swiftly.

Margharita Missoni expertly responding to reporter's questions - a bit of media training does wonders for a girl

After racing back to the venue from the Kings Cross car park where Dion Lee's show was held, Patty Huntington, Helen (Sassybella) and I sprinted through to the backdoor of the Zimmerman tent. 'No backstage pass, no entry,' leered the burly security guard. 'Go downstairs.' Going downstairs to go back upstairs sounds ridiculous to you and to me, but to this guy it was as simple as telling us the time. Oh to be big and strong and intimidating to burly security guards. We finally made it to the doors just as Zimmerman was about to begin. The doorman there was being a jerk too and not letting in fellow bloggers Aych and the Despotic Queen himself, so, being the gentleman I am, I waited outside with them. We'd been there about thirty seconds when the lights went out. Oh joy. A citywide power cut.


Bad bunnies at the RTW show

Forty five minutes later the power came back on, and Zimmerman showed a pretty collection of swimwear and florals. I wanted to keep up the speed and immediacy of yesterday's blogging effort so I bolted back to the media room to upload my Dion Lee and Zimmerman videos. Not so fast. Youtube had decided to do a little maintenance on the site - no uploading available. For FRENCH CONNECTION UNITED KINGDOM'S sake. Why!? I was forced to upload the videos straight to Blogger which takes a good eight times longer and they come out smaller and blurrier. Great.


Someone teach me how to use a camera - front of house at Zimmerman, I believe

The next few shows passed by in a blur of bad seats, late starts and near misses, and running back to the media room to upload videos to Blogger was a painful agitation. Media room food comes in the form of sandwiches and mini asian noodle snacks, but goes as quickly as it's brought out due to the vulture-like photographers swooping as soon as they smell fresh blood (or chicken).


Light installation at Dion Lee

If I sound bitter, it's because I am.


Punk girl punking out with punky necklace made from varnished tampons - what can I say - the girl's got Moxie

I guess it wasn't all bad though. Highlights included a meet and greet with Margharita Missoni who smiled very politely as the bloggers crowded in for a photo, and didn't even slap me when my hand mistakenly grazed her posterior. I must say I was impressed by the answers she gave to reporters, especially to the lady who asked why Little Black Dresses are so classic. 'First off, because they're black,' she said. I do love a bit of lateral thinking.


Whole lotta woman on the catwalk at Antipodium

I did a couple of fun little backstage videos at Zambesi, including a striptease from former Cleo Bachelor of the Year Nick Curnow. My gift to you, ladies. The show itself was a refreshing change from swimsuits and boobs, and I absolutely loved the bright red in the menswear. After such a craptastic day the whole thing did seem a little long to me, 60 odd outfits is a lot to sit through, but we've gotta support our own. They even had a couple of NZ boys in it - Bruce from August and the aforementioned Nick Curnow from Nova. Go the kiwis!


Me and Miss Shorter

Along the way I photographed Patty Huntington being repeatedly kiss-raped by a hilarious photographer whose name I don't know, and at the very worst possible end to a bad day - the Diet Coke Little Black Dress show which ran an hour and a half late and took place in a room that felt at least 40 degrees - he struck again. I caught it from afar, see below.


Patty Huntington and the kiss thief, take two

First up tomorrow morning is Konstantina Mittas which will feature formerly monobrowed NZ model Samantha Shorter. In other NZ news, Kate Sylvester will show her collection Take a Hike at 10am. I'll have the video up within fifteen minutes this time. Promise.